Killer Mike and El-P announce Run The Jewels release date, learn a lot about each other, themselves

For a couple of dudes who like to mess around with robotic soundscapes and apocalyptic bellowing, the friendship of El-P and Killer Mike is pretty heartwarming. The pair got together last year for Mike’s R.A.P. Music (also, Mike guested on El’s Cancer For Cure), a creative partnership so fruitful that they decided they should up and do it again. Hence, the duo’s new project Run the Jewels, who are releasing their self-titled debut through Fool’s Gold on June 26.

What’s friends without more friends, though? Surely, the likes of Big Boi and Prince Paul, two mighty names in hip-hop, are friends with Mike and El. Slightly more of a wild card is electronic musician Until The Ribbon Breaks, but his unnerving electro-pop still fits in with these guys. Point is, all of these aforementioned names have guest spots on the record.

Basking in this communal glow, the pair are sharing the album with the world for the price of no money whatsoever. It will be a free download on Fool’s Gold’s site. That said, if you would like to give them money, you have many options to do so. Most conventionally, you could go for the CD or vinyl editions, the latter of which includes a record of instrumentals, a poster, and a full lyrics sheet. Roughly on the same level of convention, you could go for a Run the Jewels shirt. On a distinctly different level, you could buy the group’s herb grinder, because, hey, why not. Or you could just buy all of this stuff in one huge $85 package. Well, no matter what you do, it’s all available for pre-order now.

Part of the magic about Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland’s musical output is that ya never know what those two crazy kids are gonna do next. Like the Domino’s Pizza Noid (RIP) or any Scooby Doo villain, the only thing fans can be sure of is that Blunt and Copeland are gonna do what you least expect. (Okay, everyone kinda expected the Noid would try to ruin your pizza, but at least he was really, really creative about it.) Will they release a new album under the Hype Williams name? Put out a solo record that’s limited to like 20 copies under only one of their names, but strongly featuring them both? Release what just might be the most haunting, fragile folk record of 2013?

Well, for the purposes of this story, the answer is the latter. Yes! Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland’s World Music label is putting out a mysterious (in true Hype Williams “keyword: enigmatic” style) release of some sort — be it an EP, LP, or just a single, no one outside of World Music really knows — by recent Blunt-collaborator Joanne Robertson. It’s Robertson you hear on Dean Blunt’s The Redeemer (TMT Review), singing on “Imperial Gold” and “Demon.” Whatever the new release will be, it’ll be the follow-up to Robertson’s 2007 album The Lighter. Check out the brilliant and heartbreaking and confusing-in-a-Hype-Williams-context track “Heat” below:

Kim Deal, Pixies bassist and Breeders leader, is now just Kim Deal, Breeders leader. Consequence of Sound reports that Deal has left the not-so-young alternative rock group, who I thought had been touring in perpetuum since reuniting in 2004 but have actually not played a show since 2011. Hmm… guess that explains why Frank Black looked no more than 110 pounds in a studded jean jacket when I saw them last Thanksgiving. What band did I see??

Pixies officially state:

We are sad to say that Kim Deal has decided to leave the Pixies. We are very proud to have worked with her on and off over the last 25 years. Despite her decision to move on, we will always consider her a member of the Pixies, and her place will always be here for her. We wish her all the best.

No tears, though! The Breeders are still doing their anniversary tour, Deal has been sporadically releasing solo singles, and you can relive all those classic Pixies memories when Pixies: A Visual History is released in the fall. Oh Christ, it’s A Visual History: Volume 1. Kill yr idols.

The Replacements have returned! After a 22-year absence in which the band traveled throughout the universe at speeds greatly exceeding the speed of light, the infamous ‘Mats have once again landed on our verdant planet. “This was the plan all along,” said a chipper, if spaceworn Paul Westerberg. “You’ll notice we don’t really look all that much older. That’s because of the time dilation,” he continued before taking a long swig from his space beer. Westerberg’s science is sound. According to the folks at NASA, “When an object exceeds the speed of light, time passes differently for it with respect to the universe. Though us Earthlings have felt the passing of 22 years, The ‘Mats have only experienced about three and a half.” As expected, the band has been a bit ill at ease about some recent technological developments. Tommy Stinson apparently tried to karate chop his handler’s neck when he first heard the sound of a human voice over a telephone. He didn’t fully calm down until he was informed that phones were actually already a thing back on July 5, 1991 when the band blasted off (that was the day after their final show).

The group will play three festival dates at Riot Fests in Chicago, Toronto, and Denver alongside other space-traveling groups like Guided By Voices,The Dismemberment Plan, and Blink-182. The currently confirmed Replacements lineup will consist of Westerberg and Stinson, with the remainder to be announced later. The band has reportedly been working on lyrical updates for some fan favorites, including “Waitress in the Endless Sky of Space,” “Color me Decompressed,” and “Gary’s Got a Space Boner.”

While you’re getting all excited about the prospects of Replacements shows and deep-space exploration, maybe go and pick up Songs For Slim, an EP the group recorded last fall to help raise money for their guitarist Slim Dunlap, who had unfortunately suffered from a stroke. Really, it’s the least you can do for a band so clearly committed both to bringing the rock and to boldly going where no human has gone before.

Would ya believe me if I told you me and my ex-wife “parted ways” (her lawyer’s words) over a botched anniversary gift? Well ya better, because it’s the truth, pal. Who’da thought a “fine lady” (also her lawyer’s words) such as herself woulda been “deeply disappointed” (lawyer talk again) and led to question my capacity to “meaningfully engage with other adults” by my thoughtful gift of a handmade sex act coupon book? I really thought I had that shit on lock down.

Anyway, enough about me. Hamburg’s Dekorder has announced that they’re coming up on their 10-year anniversary as a label, and I really couldn’t be more happy for ‘em! I mean, 10 years? That’s the long haul if you ask me. Through sickness and through health, am I right folks? So they don’t end up in a fix like I did with a mess of legal fees hanging over them, they’ve decided to get the anniversary ball rolling. Not only are they going to wine and dine themselves and take themselves out to a nice show, but they’ve also announced a whole slew of special edition picture discs that they’ve gotten for themselves (and for anyone else who’s interested)! In point of fact, they’re hybrid-vinyl picture discs with an image on one side and audio on the other in order to preserve audio quality. But let’s not get bogged down in “facts,” we’re not my ex-wife are we? HA!

Dekorder says they’re planning to produce runs of 300 to 500 copies of each disc, and they have categorically stated that they will never be repressed — it’s more romantic that way, don’t ya know. They’ve released a partial list of confirmed artists, including Leyland Kirby and Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3 (check out the full list below, and visit their website for more artists as they’re announced). Each release will be about 15 to 25 minutes long, and the first one, from Pye Corner Audio, is scheduled to ship some time in the next few days. The remaining nine confirmed releases will come in three sets of three in the coming months, and if you’re so inclined you can reserve all 10 of the already-confirmed discs for €150.00 ($199.60).

Man, it’s hot and grey outside where I am today. I could really go for a Goldfrappucino. Why the hell isn’t that a thing that exists??? If you ask me, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory (whom together comprise the synth-pop group Goldfrapp, don’t you know) are way too wrapped up in making lush, widescreen, sometimes-dancey electronic music and aren’t spending nearly enough time in the kitchen concocting delicious, frosty summery beverages.

Case in point: while the western world dries up for lack of a dome-lidded tub of frothy, creamy, caffeinated goodness, here comes another Goldfrapp album! It’s called Tales of Us and was written and produced by Alison and Will and recorded at their studio in the English countryside. It’s their sixth album to date and follows up 2010’s Head First. But okay, okay. Let’s hear them out really quick before we DIE of thirst and exhaustion. What’s so special about this new one? Enter: the press release!

“Tales Of Us has been two years in the crafting and is their most narrative, cinematic and intimate recording to date.” Okay, cool adjectives. What else? “All the songs except for one are named in the first person with a cast list of evocative character sketches, the contrary love affairs, the suspense, hallucinations, fairy tales, and modern folklores documented and the traces of redemption they find in song take the poetry of Goldfrapp’s delicately considered music somewhere brand new.” Wait, is that a sentence?

Well anyway, Tales Of Us will be available from September 10 in the US (and September 9 in the UK) on CD, vinyl, and digital, as well as “a special limited edition box set that will contain an exclusive disc of bonus material and a hardback book compiled by Goldfrapp.” And jeez do I hope the bonus material is some sort of coffee drink! Meanwhile, it’s currently available to preorder at some flash-in-the-pan place called iTunes, and the band is also planning two special shows at the Manchester International Festival (notable for its distinction as the only festival to spell program as “programme”) on July 17 and 18, at which they will perform the entirety of Tales of Us live, accompanied by the Royal Northern College of Music string orchestra. More tour dates for Europe and the US this fall will be announced shortly. So you’d better head back to our homepage and keep hitting refresh until that happens. If you need me, I’ll be in the TMT kitchen inventing this Goldfrappucino thing all by myself.